Hotel Croydon

A 1930s Apartment House Reborn on Collins Avenue

Hotel Croydon opened its current chapter after hotelier Alan Lieberman and his son Nathan bought the shuttered Croydon Arms, a 1930s Collins Avenue building that had sat empty for years, and rebuilt it for Mid-Beach rather than South Beach's louder register. The Liebermans, who run several boutique properties on the beach through South Beach Group, call the result more hipster than haughty, a line that doubles as a mission statement: dark wood floors, eclectic furnishing, and a scale that tops out around a hundred rooms rather than the high-rises nearby.

Why It Works

We picked this hotel for the renovation story as much as the result: a building left vacant, bought by a family with a track record of restoring rather than demolishing Miami Beach's older stock, and reopened with its 1930s bones intact under new finishes. The pool deck favors comfortable lounge chairs over a see-and-be-seen layout, and the on-site restaurant serves generously rather than elegantly, a choice the Liebermans state outright: nothing snobby going on here. A hotel confident enough to undersell itself earns a closer look.

Why This Location

Mid-Beach puts the Croydon one block from the ocean and roughly a ten-minute ride from South Beach's clubs, shopping and nightlife, close enough for an evening out without a loud strip outside the window every night. Collins Avenue at 38th Street sits among a run of smaller-scale buildings rather than glass towers, a quieter register that extends to the beach itself. An airport shuttle to Miami International removes the need for a rental car on short stays, and the walk to the sand takes minutes rather than a cab ride.

Fast Facts

• Prix: €€

• Vibe: boutique, eclectic, unpretentious

• Chambres: around 100, including a Penthouse

• Best For: travelers who want South Beach nearby without its volume

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: the nightly happy hour with drinks included, no reservation required

• Dining: The Tavern, generous plates and local craft beers in a deliberately casual room

• Amenities: outdoor pool with lounge chairs, daily beach chairs and towels, yoga classes, airport shuttle, C.O. Bigelow bath products

• Attractions: South Beach nightlife and shopping, the Art Deco Historic District, Collins Avenue's Mid-Beach stretch

A Renovation That Kept the Bones

The Liebermans built their reputation restoring older Miami Beach buildings rather than replacing them, and the Croydon follows the pattern: original dark wood floors and doors kept rather than ripped out, rooms finished with soft sheets, fluffy robes and slippers, bathrooms stocked with C.O. Bigelow products rather than a generic in-house line. The approach reads as confidence in the building's original character, the same instinct that kept the Croydon Arms spirit alive even after the rebrand, rather than erasing it for something more generic.

The Tavern and a Nightly Happy Hour

The hotel's restaurant, The Tavern, runs on local craft beers and plates sized for appetite over presentation, overseen by Nathan Lieberman with a stated goal of keeping the room relaxed rather than precious. A nightly happy hour with complimentary drinks turns the bar into the property's social center without requiring a reservation, and the casual register carries through to the pool deck, where lounge chairs matter more than a curated playlist. It is a hotel built around ease rather than spectacle, in a neighborhood that does not always choose that path.

Before You Book

Mid-Beach trades proximity to South Beach's nightlife for quiet, so travelers planning late nights out should budget a short ride back rather than a walk. The airport shuttle covers Miami International but should be arranged in advance rather than assumed on arrival. Room counts vary slightly by source, with the property topping out near a hundred keys including a Penthouse, so travelers wanting a specific size or view should confirm the exact category at booking. The pool area suits lounging over laps, worth knowing for anyone prioritizing swim time.